Grace McCatty’s last-gasp equaliser rescues vital point for Sunderland Women

After an eventful but goalless first half, Jessica Brown’s overhit cross opened the scoring on the hour but Melissa Johnson took advantage of a couple of defensive errors to score twice in two minutes and turn the game on its head.

While the Charlton bench and players argued about the five minutes added time, veteran defender McCatty charged onto Brenna McPartlan’s flick and smashed high into the net as the Black Cats inched themselves closer to a third successive season in the second tier.

There was a double blow heading into the game as Abbey Joice - who has been in tremendous form recently - and Emily Scarr were both ruled out of the trip to Kent. On the plus side, Liz Ejupi came into Mel Reay’s starting XI alongside McPartlan, with Louise Griffiths named on the bench.

The visitors perhaps should have been ahead after 38 minutes - Jessica Brown broke free down the right and drove into the box, with the goalkeeper rushing out quickly to smother at her feet. But the danger wasn’t over as the ball rebounded straight to Emma Kelly whose follow up was cleared off the line and then Katy Watson’s deflected shot was easily scooped up by the recovering Rogers.

Within minutes of the restart, Moan was back in the thick of the action, carrying on from her heroics against Sheffield United with another outstanding double save.

Although Jess Brown smashed wide shortly after, Charlton were in the ascendancy and only a superbly-timed last-ditch tackle from Herron stopped Angela Addison charging through on goal before the half-hour.

But their momentum was stopped dead as Sunderland took the lead. The ball was worked across the width of the pitch and out to Jessica Brown on the right who cut inside and her cross - meant for Ejupi - curled beyond the helpless Rogers and into the far corner.

Moan was at it again to preserve the lead, throwing herself across goal and low down to her right to turn away a strike from distance, however that would be in vain as Charlton would level immediately after.

A mix up at the back between Herron and Esther Morgan let through a long ball from defence and released Melissa Johnson who ran through one on one and poked low into the corner.

Within 90 seconds it was two through another defensive error. Sunderland tried to play out from the back but Moan slipped as the ball was returned to her, and although she saved from Addison, the ball fell to Johnson who fired into an empty net.

Hoping to see the game out, Charlton were enraged when the fourth official signalled five minutes of additional time but this only galvanised Sunderland who pushed forward in numbers.

A short time earlier McCatty had come on as a substitute to give Sunderland a stronger base from which to chase the equaliser, but found herself running onto a loose ball in the opposition’s box which she blasted past Rogers at the near post.

Sunderland: Moan; Beer (McCatty 80’) Herron, Westrup, Morgan; Danielle Brown, McPartlan, Kelly (c), Jessica Brown (Griffiths 80’), Watson; Ejupi.

Substitutes: Cowling, Borthwick, Ede, McInnes.